Helical spiral food product and apparatus for making the same

Abstract

A cut food piece formed in the shape of a helical split ring (10) having a predetermined number of spirals by means of first piercing a series of slots in the whole food product by penetration blade assembly (248) prior to urging the whole food product into engagement with cutter blade assembly (200) having wheel plate (202) rotating about central axis (206). Said cutter blade assembly (200) further having a plurality of ring cutters (208) attached to and extending normally out from wheel plate (202) for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product. Shear blade (210) extends angularly out from wheel plate (202) for cutting concentric helical spirals of food product off the whole food product.

Accordingly, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for cutting a whole food product having a longitudinal axis into helical split ring shaped cut food pieces of a predetermined number of radians of spiral using a circular cutter blade assembly having a wheel plate having a planar surface for rotation about a central axis, a plurality of ring cutters attached to and extending normally out from the planar surface of the wheel plate for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product, a sheer blade attached to and extending angularly out from the planar surface for cutting concentric helical rings of cut food product off the whole food product and said wheel plate further having a transport hole positioned adjacent to the sheer blade for passage of sheered concentric helical rings of cut food product through the cutter blade assembly which comprises: piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product, said slots being parallel to a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said whole food product   aligning the longitudinal axis of the whole food product coincident to the central axis of the cutter blade assembly;   moving the aligned and slotted whole food product into cutting engagement with the cutter blade assembly.   
     
     
       2. A cut food piece formed in the shape of a helical spiral cut of a predetermined number of radians of spiral from a whole food product having a longitudinal axis by use of the process of: piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product, said slots being parallel to a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said whole food product;   aligning the longitudinal axis of the whole food product coincident to a central axis of a cutter blade assembly;   moving the aligned and slotted whole food product into cutting engagement with a cutter blade assembly configured to cut helical spirals of food product from the whole food product.   
     
     
       3. A cut food piece formed in the shape of a helical spiral cut of a predetermined number of radians of spiral from a whole food product having a longitudinal axis by use of the process of: piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product, said slots being parallel to a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said whole food product;   aligning the longitudinal axis of the whole food product coincident to a central axis of a cutter blade assembly;   moving the aligned and slotted whole food product into cutting engagement with the cutter blade assembly having a wheel plate having a planar surface for rotation about the central axis, a plurality of ring cutters attached to and extending normally out from the planar surface of the wheel plate for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product, a sheer blade attached to and extending angularly out from the planar surface for cutting concentric helical rings of cut food product of a predetermined thickness off the whole food product, and said wheel plate further having a transport hole positioned adjacent to the sheer blade for passage of sheered concentric spiral rings of cut food product through the cutter blade assembly.   
     
     
       4. An apparatus for cutting a whole food product having a longitudinal axis into helical split ring cut food pieces of a predetermined number of radians of spiral which comprises: a cutter blade assembly configured to cut helical spirals of food product from a whole food product when said whole food product is fed into it in a longitudinally aligned orientation;   means for piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product, said slots being parallel to a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said whole food product;   means for aligning the longitudinal axis of the whole food product with a central axis of the cutter blade assembly;   means for moving the aligned and slotted whole food product into engagement with the cutter blade assembly.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim No. 4 wherein the cutter blade assembly further comprises a wheel plate having a planar surface for rotation about a central axis, a plurality of ring cutters attached to and extending normally out from the planar surface of the wheel plate for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product, a sheer blade attached to and extending angularly out from the planar surface for cutting concentric helical rings of cut food product off the whole food product and said wheel plate further having a transport hole positioned adjacent to the sheer blade for passage of sheered concentric helical rings of cut food product through the cutter blade assembly. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim No. 4 wherein the means for piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product further comprises a penetration blade operable for insertion into the whole food product normal to the longitudinal axis of the whole food product. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim No. 4 wherein the means for piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product further comprises a plurality of spaced apart penetration blades operable for insertion into the whole food product normal to the longitudinal axis of the whole food product. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for cutting a whole food product having a longitudinal axis into helical split ring cut food pieces which comprises: a cutter blade assembly having a wheel plate having a planar surface for rotation about a central axis, a plurality of ring cutters attached to and extending normally out from the planar surface of the wheel plate for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product, a sheer blade attached to and extending angularly out from the planar surface for cutting concentric helical rings of cut food product off the whole food product and said wheel plate further having a transport hole positioned adjacent to the sheer blade for passage of sheered concentric helical rings of cut food product through the cutter blade assembly;   means for piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product, said slots being parallel to a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said whole food product;   means for aligning the longitudinal axis of the whole food product coincident to the central axis of the planar wheel plate;   means for moving the aligned and slotted whole food product into engagement with the ring cutters and sheer blade of the cutter blade assembly.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim No. 8 wherein the means for piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product further comprises a penetration blade operable for insertion into the whole food product normal to the longitudinal axis of the whole food product. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim No. 8 wherein the means for piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product further comprises a plurality of spaced apart penetration blades operable for insertion into the whole food product normal to the longitudinal axis of the whole food product. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the means for piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots in the whole food product further comprises: at least one penetrating blade, said blade being configured in width and length to produce a longitudinal slot which is as least as wide a width of the cut food product and which is at least long enough to extend into the whole food product to said whole food product's longitudinal axis, said piercing blade assembly positioned for radial alignment of the penetration blade to the longitudinal axis of the whole food product and with the width of the penetration blade in coincidental alignment with said whole food product longitudinal axis;   means for radially inserting the penetrating blade into the whole food product to the whole food product's longitudinal axis at preselected intervals along the length of said whole food product.   
     
     
       12. A method for cutting a whole food product having a longitudinal axis into helical split ring shaped cut food pieces of a predetermined number of radians of spiral using a circular cutter blade assembly configured to cut helical spirals of food product from whole food product which comprises: piercing a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal penetration slots into the whole food product, said slots being parallel to a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said whole food product   aligning the longitudinal axis of the whole food product coincident to a central axis of the cutter blade assembly;   moving the aligned and slotted whole food product into cutting engagement with the cutter blade assembly.